The Way Forward is Sometimes the Way Back
by Labyrinth Runner
Summary: Sarah won the Labyrinth back when she was a child, now that she's finishing college, she feels more lost than she did in the maze. Maybe the Goblin King can help her get back to her old self. Disclaimer: I do not, sadly, own Labyrinth
1. Sinking Slowly

In the beginning, there was a girl. She wasn't an ordinary girl—oh no, she was the only girl to beat the Labyrinth in thirteen hours. What the girl didn't realize was that she, Sarah Williams, never claimed her prize. She had rightfully won the Goblin King's heart, but instead, she disregarded her prize, took her baby brother and left the broken king to recover his senses.

"Mark my words, Sarah Williams, you will be mine. Make no doubt about that. Sooner or later, you will love me again," Jareth declared. He made a vow, but not a wish, for wishes are tricky things, and one must be careful what they wish for.

* * *

_Six years later_

Sarah Williams looked out at the crowd gathering in front of the curtain. Tonight was to be her senior recitation where she and a few of her friends would recite scenes from Shakespeare and other various playwrights. Her favorite Shakespearean play was _A Midsummer's Night's Dream. _She didn't very much care for the tragedies. They were almost always about love in some form or another. If she had to identify with one character from a tragedy, she'd probably pick Juliet. She knew what it was like to love and have it all taken away due to family issues. Although her family wasn't feuding, she gave up love once for her family. That's sort of the same thing, or at least she thought so. That's another reason she hated the tragedies, they always reminded her of her own past experiences. Not that her life was tragic, quite the opposite. She was finishing her last year of college in England, double majoring in acting and English, which allowed her to act and write. During the summer she was a nanny to a fairly wealthy family in Wales. She was always coming up with new stories to tell the children when they were home for the summer from boarding school. She had almost shared that same fate. Her stepmother Karen used to threaten to send her away when she was younger, until that one night when everything changed.

When she was fifteen, she had a vivid dream of a devilishly handsome king who had taken her baby brother, Toby. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered she fought her way to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child he stole. It was a good dream, but only a dream. The dream was probably induced by her favorite book. She still read it from time to time, whenever she needed to escape the dullness of her life. Toby believed it was real, but she always denied it, saying that it was only a story. Deep down though, she always hoped that it would be something more, that Jar—the Goblin King would be real. Even know, she somehow hoped to see him in the audience waiting to hear her recite her lines as Juliet. She was performing the "what's in a name" monologue. And in her mind, she was saying it to him and they were in the M.C. Escher room right before she triumphed over him. She had loved him then, the fantasy of an idle teenage mind. That love had not waned over the years, but now she was 21 and had never had a serious relationship, much to the chagrin of Karen. Karen was always trying to set her up, and Sarah always came up with an excuse as to why they weren't the right guy for her.

"With your list of requirements, you'd be better off marrying a King," Karen said. _Oh if she only knew the half of it,_ Sarah mused.

"Hey, Juliet, you're on in five," King Oberon said as he walked on stage.

"Thank you five," Sarah replied snapping out of her reverie. She watched as he sat under the make-shift tree and started reciting his lines. King Oberon was played by Jessie, a boy who always had taken a fancy to Sarah. She had shared countless stage kisses with him, and apparently he thought that meant that she liked him. He was attractive, but she just didn't see a future with him. Why couldn't he see that?

Soon enough, his scene was over and it was her turn. "Break a leg, babe," Jessie said while winking at her. She walked on stage, taking her place on top of her balcony. She closed her eyes and transported herself back to that dream, back to him. She meant every word, willing the man of her dreams to understand how she felt, finishing with "Take all myself." She got a standing ovation, but she didn't feel the rush of excitement that she used to when she was younger. She was in her senior year of college wondering whether or not she made the right choices. She didn't know what to believe anymore, and with graduation a month away, who knows what she'll do after college? She could be a full-time actor, but she's never been leading lady material like her mother. She could try writing, but that would mean living paycheck to paycheck too. Then there was being a nanny, and she did love children, but then how would she start her own family? Not to mention her years spent in college would have been useless, but she needed some way to pay off her debt. _I guess that's my future now_, she realized as she walked off stage. _Who knows, maybe I'll meet someone who will save me before it gets that far._

* * *

"Well, precious, if you wish it, it could be," the Goblin King mused while watching the crystal in his hand. She would be his soon enough and he knew it. It was only a matter of time until she'd call for him, and he'd be here. Waiting in the Underground.


	2. Graduating to Nothing

The days rushed by until graduation. Sarah had been walking around in an inward fog. She was sitting with her classmates when her name was called. She started to walk up to receive her diploma when she decided to scan the crowd for her family. Spotting Toby was easy. He was waving at her full force. He was sitting in-between Karen and her dad who were both giving her a thumbs-up. At least someone was proud of her. Her real mother, Linda, hadn't even sent a reply when Sarah mailed her the invitation. She was probably off somewhere working on some famous Broadway play. Sarah had learned over the years that her mom was slowly fading out of her life. It hurt, but that was life. She accepted her diploma and walked off stage. There were only a few more people after her. Then she would officially be out of college and scrambling along with the everyday masses to find work and a life. _That's too much to focus on right now,_ Sarah mentally told herself.

"Hey, babe, a whole bunch of us are heading over to that new bar The Underground after graduation. Want to come with me?" Jessie asked while winking at her.

"Sure. Might as well since it's probably the last time we'll see each other," she replied.

"Ouch. Dash my hopes and dreams, Ice Queen," Jessie mocked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that we'll all be going to God knows where, doing God knows what. Our paths might have a harder time crossing," Sarah said trying to do damage control.

"It's okay, babe. I knew what you meant," he replied.

"Okay! Class of 2014, Time to turn those tassels!" the class valedictorian announced.

* * *

Jareth watched the human custom of graduation through a crystal from his throne room. He never did quite understand the idea of college. Then again, as a fae in the underground, he had to accept the fact that they were behind a bit technology wise. _We are basically living in the equivalent of the medieval era, _he mused. Yet, what they lacked in technology they made up for in magic. He couldn't contain his mirth, yet he didn't know why he was happy. His kingdom had changed dramatically since the last time Sarah was here. He wanted everything she had touched to stay the same, but the Labyrinth was more understanding of how a woman's mind works and had been sprouting flowers here and there. A flower even sprouted on a goblin's head, much to his dismay. Everything she touched turned from grey, dismal, and foreboding to something beautiful. Even the castle seemed brighter these days. The goblins tried to pick up after themselves, sensing the change. However, the chickens still graced the throne room with their presence.

_The Labyrinth is readying itself for her. Interesting,_ Jareth thought. Maybe that was why he was feeling so happy. The Labyrinth was never wrong about arrivals. Maybe he should get things ready too.

"Listen up! Your future queen will be arriving here soon. I want this castle spotless by the time I come back. And make up a room for her while you're at it too," Jareth ordered. He swirled his cloak around him and transformed into an owl leaving behind a cloud of glitter. He flew off. Tonight was the night he had been waiting for.


	3. Happily Ever Afters and Alcohol

Sarah made her way to the bar, reluctantly, on Jessie's arm_. If I can't make my problems go away, maybe some alcohol will take my mind off of it for a while_, she figured. They came up to a dark alleyway with a green neon sign that said "The Underground." The line in was so long it curved around the block.

"We'll never get in at this rate," Sarah said.

"Never fear, my dear, I'm on the VIP list," Jessie boasted. They made their way to the front of the line and the bouncer let them in.

"How'd you swing that?" she asked.

"My sister's a bartender here. She said she'd put me on the VIP list whenever I had a date. She worries that I won't find a woman who'll put up with me," he joked.

"I can't imagine why," she mumbled. A short girl with a blonde pixie cut waved Jessie over.

"Bella! This place is amazing. This is Sarah by the way, my date," Jessie informed her. Sarah made a face at him, but smiled and shook Bella's hand nonetheless.

"You must be really busy since the grand opening," Sarah said.

"Yeah! I had to leave my old job in order to work here full time. The pay's better and so are the tips," Bella said with a smile.

"What did you do before this?" Sarah asked.

"I used to be a nanny for one of the wealthy families in London. I came back to America for a week to see my family and landed a job here. I never returned to London. I'd guess they're still looking for a nanny now," she said, " so what can I get you two?"

"A gin and tonic for me and a strawberry daiquiri for the lady," Jessie said. He walked away to see some old friends who were sitting in the corner.

"What do you really want?" Bella asked with a roll of her eyes, "And I know you're not his date, no matter how much he wishes. I've heard a lot about you these past few years, Ms. Williams, but I also know that my brother is a difficult person to like as more than a friend."

"What are your specialties?" she asked.

"Our signature drinks involve peaches. We have two popular drinks. The Happily Ever After has peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and ginger ale, and the Head-Spinner which has peach schnapps and Sprite," Bella explained.

_Peaches. Now there's a fruit I haven't had in a while,_ Sarah remembered. She weighed her options and decided on the Happily Ever After. Maybe the name will ring true and she'll find hers. When she got her drink, she tried it and decided she really liked it. She ordered five more and was considerably tipsy before Bella cut her off.

"Listen, people only drink that much when they're either depressed, overwhelmed, or an alcoholic. I know you're not an alcoholic since Jessie always says you never drink at cast parties, so what's up?" Bella implored.

"I just graduated and I have no idea where to go. I have two useless degrees and I don't want to just meet some guy and settle down for the rest of my life. I want adventures and romance, but mostly I just want to be happy, and I'm not," Sarah explained.

"You really want adventure?" Bella asked. Sarah nodded.

"Remember earlier when I said the family I was a nanny for was still looking for a replacement? I think you should call them. They'll pay for all your traveling expenses, and the kids are wonderful, and they're desperate to find someone," Bella continued, "I'll give him a call right now and I'll tell him all about you. Wait here."

Bella tapped the other bartender on the shoulder and told her she was going to make a phone call. He nodded and waved her off like a fly. Bella disappeared to the kitchen and made the phone call. She then came back out to tell Sarah the good news.

"You've got the job. He's got you on a flight to London in two days. I just wonder how you'll ever tell Jessie that you're leaving," Bella joked.

"He'll get over me soon enough. He's got a Broadway audition for Hamlet this weekend, which he'll probably get the lead in. He'll fall head over heels for whoever is Ophelia and he'll forget all about me and our very meaningful stage kisses," Sarah joked back. The two women laughed and Sarah left her bar stool to go tell Jessie the good news. He started pouting and almost caused a scene when Bella shot him a warning look from behind the bar. He left Sarah alone to hail a cab and go back to her apartment. Her roommates had already moved out so she had it all to herself. She took a shower and was brushing her hair out before bed when her mind wandered to the future.

* * *

Jareth had perched himself on a branch outside her bedroom window. He had gone down to the bar and watched her the whole night. He would've approached her then, but he saw that she was with that other boy. Then the boy had left her. _What kind of idiot would leave the company of a gem for a bunch of rocks_, he had wondered. However, there wasn't something right about the situation. Sarah was depressed. She almost had no fight to her. She wasn't the Sarah that he knew and loved. He refused to talk to her while she was not herself. _That would just cause problems, _he mused. So now he sat outside her window wondering who she was going to England for. He knew a few people there, fae folk who had left to live in the human world due to being banished. She probably wasn't going to run into any of them. He'll see her again soon, but for now, Sarah needed time to rediscover herself. The Goblin King took one last look at the beautiful woman sitting on her bed as she finished braiding her hair. _Until next time, precious, _he thought as he flew off into the night.


	4. Flying Through Time

Two days passed by in no time and Sarah was staring at her copious amounts of luggage in front of her house while waiting for her taxi. _Somehow I have more things now than I did moving in, _she mused. Today was the day she was to get on a plane, leave her family in America, and move to her new job in London. Her family was going to be waiting at the airport for her before taking Toby to his overnight camp. She had given away most of her furniture to her friend who was moving to an unfurnished apartment in New York, so she had less to worry about having shipped over. She still had boxes, but her family would be sending those over later in the week. The only things she packed were her clothes, necessities, and her book about the Labyrinth. She even packed the book in her carry-on to read on the plane if she got bored. She pulled out her plane ticked and stared at it. "Peachway Airlines" it said. _That fruit comes up a lot lately. I used to think it was a bad thing, but I guess those Happily Ever Afters may have gotten me closer to my own,_ she wondered. She checked her phone and received a text from Jessie saying, "Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" She smirked and didn't reply. She'd talk to him again, but not until she's "across the pond" as the expression goes. She didn't want to encourage him anymore than she may have already. He was a good guy, sure. He just wasn't the one for her. _Or many girls, according to his sister, _she remembered. A taxi came cruising down the street and slowed to a halt in front of her.

"Are you Ms. Williams?" the driver asked while getting out of the car.

"Yes, I am," she replied and helped him load her luggage into the trunk of the taxi. They got back into the car and headed to the airport.

"So where are you flying to? If you don't mind me asking," the driver asked.

"I'm heading to London for a job," she replied.

"London. They say Paris is the city of love, but London, that's the city of wishful thinkers. Plus, a new move always means new beginnings depending on where you go," the driver mused.

"Yeah," Sarah responded, half listening.

"Well, here you go, Miss," he said while pulling up to the airport, "Good luck with London." Sarah got out of the car and took her luggage out of the trunk. She walked through the doors to be met by Toby rushing towards her followed by Karen and her dad.

"Don't go!" Toby cried while hugging his sister.

"Aw, Tobes, you know I have to go, but I'll come back to visit, and maybe you could even come see me too," she said while glancing up at her dad and stepmother.

"Maybe during breaks, if money allows it," her dad suggested.

"I'm gonna miss you so much!" Toby said. He buried himself in his sister's shirt.

"I'm going to miss you too, kiddo. But hey, you'll still be able to talk to me whenever the time difference allows. It's just like college was," she reasoned.

"Sarah, you're plane is leaving soon," her dad reminded her.

"I know, Dad. I'll be leaving soon," she replied. She let go of Toby and gathered her luggage.

"WAIT! I have something for you," Toby said. He pulled his backpack off and pulled out a teddy bear and gave it to his sister.

"Lancelot! Toby, are you sure you want to give him back?" she asked her brother.

"Yes. I love you, Sarah. Have a safe trip," he said. Sarah hugged him tightly. She then hugged her parents and looked at her watch.

"I've got to go. I'll call you when I land," she told them. She waved goodbye and walked towards the information desk and asked where to find her plane.

"Oh yes. Mr. Jenkins' private jet is waiting in terminal 13. Just walk towards baggage claim and take a right. The entrance is there," said Cheryl the information lady. _Wow, this guy must have some serious money if he owns his own private jet, _she mused. She thanked Cheryl and walked towards her terminal to board her plane. She got on the plane to see that she was in fact the only passenger on the plane. _It'll be a fairly long plane ride to London, flying backwards through the sands of time. I might as well listen to some music, _she figured. She plugged in her headsets to her phone and listened to some David Bowie music. "As the World Falls Down" started to play and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Jareth was watching her in his crystal. _She definitely has better spirits today. Every day she's becoming more and more like the Sarah I know. The fighter, the one who beat the Labyrinth, and my Goblin Queen_, he observed. He loved her, and one day she would love him. Somehow, some way, she would be his. He got off his throne and started to pace. He tapped his swagger stick in his hand while pondering what to do next. _What would make her love me? _


	5. Gobsfield Castle

The plane eventually landed in London. Sarah slowly stretched and readied herself to get off. _Well, I made it, _she thought. She picked up her carry-on bag and got off the plane. A stewardess brought out her luggage and told her to proceed into the airport. She walked through the airport and eventually came upon a man holding a card that said "Ms. Williams." She thought it could be Mr. Jenkins, her new employer so she walked over.

"Hello, Mr. Jenkins. I'm Sarah Williams," she said.

"Oh. My dear, I do believe you are mistaken. I am not Mr. Jenkins. I am his manservant, Maxwell," he informed her. She took a moment to take him in. He was probably in his mid-thirties. He had short blonde hair, graying in some places, blue eyes that she could only classify as "stormy," seeing as they tinged gray in some lighting. He was wearing a suit with a plain red tie.

"I'm terribly sorry, Maxwell. I'm not used to being picked up by a butler," she explained.

"I am not just a butler! I am a chauffeur, a butler, and sometimes a gardener," he scoffed.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I'm pretty new to this whole idea of manservants and such. The last family I was a nanny for had no servants even though they could afford it. They said they didn't want their children growing up to be privileged brats that don't know how to clean up after themselves," she remembered.

"I wish that Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins adopted that ideal. They're children are a complete menace to society. They have their moments, but it's usually overshadowed by their complete lack of respect for the servants," he confided in her. They started walking towards a black Mercedes that was parked in front of the airport. Sarah opened the front door before receiving a look of rebuke from Maxwell.

"I am not your employer. I prefer to be your equal, and maybe your friend, Maxwell," she replied. She sat in the front seat as Maxwell got in and started the car.

"I'll allow it this once, but standard protocol is that no one sits in the front seat except the driver. Unless, of course, there's not enough space in the back seat," he explained. They drove through London, Sarah looked out the window at the sights. She had spent a semester abroad in college, but she never had seen much of the city. She really couldn't afford life outside the university. She had barely the time to go out with all of her studying. Seeing this city again, was like living the adventure she had only dreamed of.

Soon enough, she was snapped out of her reverie.

"Ms. Williams, there's a lot that you must learn in order to be socially acceptable as you will need to be as a nanny. There's some things about the Jenkins family that you must know. However, trust is earned, therefore you will get the answers you will undoubtedly seek in due time," he cryptically said.

"Ooookay, but Maxwell, please just call me Sarah," she responded. _What does he mean? _she wondered. They drove down a long windy gravel road lined with trees. Eventually they reached a large wrought-iron gate. Maxwell drove the car through the gate and Sarah caught her first glimpse of the massive mansion she would call home. It was sprawling and made out of marble. It was a very gothic style with awesome gargoyles, giving it a very castle-like feeling. However, the stone was bright gray, almost white, very different from the darker medieval castles of old.

"Wow, I've never seen anything more enchanting in my life," she gasped.

"Yes, Gobsfield Castle is quite breath-taking," Maxwell remarked as he parked the car in front of the stone steps leading up to the massive double doors of the house.

"Now, Sarah, you will be brought to your room first to help get settled. You must dress for dinner. I'd assume that your parents are sending over the rest of your things so there is a dress in there for you to wear. At dinner you will meet the family, so be on your best behavior. Since you are American, and therefore are not as well versed in the proper etiquette you will have some leeway, but that does not excuse poor manners. After dinner, you will meet with Mrs. Jenkins and she will tell you how you are to supervise her children and what she will expect from you. Then, you will meet the children and put them to bed. There are four of them. Watch out for pranks and other shenanigans. They are quite uncontrollable most of them time, " Maxwell said while carrying Sarah's luggage up the stairs. They walked through the front doors into a massive foyer. The floors were dark wood and the walls had very antique-looking red wallpaper. There was a grand staircase that went off into two different directions of the house. Her room was in the east wing, along with Maxwell's and most of the other servants lived in that wing as well.

* * *

Jareth was taking a stroll through his garden when he got a letter from his exiled cousin. The letter was an invitation to his annual Midsummer's ball that was to take place in a month. He usually never went, but for some reason, he wanted to go to this one. Maybe it was the fact that he was in a genuinely happier disposition as of late, or maybe it was the fact that the Labyrinth has been leaving him surprises every here and there. First, a rose growing out of the ground next to his throne, a common symbol of new love to be found. Then, there was the fact that he swore the stars were moving without his own intervention. There definitely was a J up there and a plus sign. Next to it was either a 5 or an S. He couldn't be sure. Even the goblins were trying to figure it out.

"But King, stars spell 5 for 5 guy burger and fry," Skitzer said.

"NO! Stars spell S for Super. King is super," Mudly said.

"I fink, stars say S for Sarah," Boggy said.

" I think, you could be right, Boggy," Jareth suggested. The goblins had begun to grow on him. He tried not to kick them around as much, and he didn't have the need to since he seemed to be happy a lot these days. _Maybe Boggy is right, or maybe it's just wishful thinking and I'm seeing things, _Jareth thought. Times were changing. He was changing. He just wished he knew why.


	6. Change For No One

"Alright, Ms. Williams, there's an outfit for you to wear to dinner. It is quite old fashioned, but the Jenkins wish to see if you can wear that style of clothing as it will be required for an annual ball that they throw next month. You will be required to go, seeing as the children will be in attendance for some of the night. Now, Mr. Jenkins and Mrs. Jenkins almost always require formal attire for dinners due to the fact that they sometimes have unexpected guests. Now, dinner is promptly at six o'clock. That gives you two hours to unpack what you have, freshen up, and change. I will come to collect you from your room at 5:55 so please try not to leave the room. Until later, Ms. Williams," Maxwell said while bowing.

He started to leave, but Sarah took hold of his arm and said, "Wait! Maxwell, please call me Sarah. I really do wish to befriend you."

"As you wish, Sarah," Maxwell replied taking her hand, "If you wish to be my friend then I shall treat you as my equal when we are alone. I must be considered you superior in front of the others, however. Farewell for now." He kissed her hand and left the room.

After he left, Sarah flopped down on the canopy bed in the middle of the room. _This bed is so soft! I could get used to this, regardless of how mischievous the kids can be, _Sarah thought. The bed had dark wood and midnight blue velvet bedding. There were silver crystals sown into the canopy to give it the appearance of having stars. Sarah marveled at how the curtains could make the bed seem like its own separate place when she closed them. Sarah didn't want to leave the bed, seeing as the weariness of travel finally hit her. _Well, if I unpack now, I can set my alarm and take a half an hour nap. Then I'll still have time to get ready for dinner, _Sarah rationalized. She got up off the bed and surveyed her surroundings. The walls were painted with a mural of a castle above a city. She couldn't quite figure why it looked so familiar, but it made her feel funny. Not like an "I ate something bad funny," but like an "I feel strangely at home here" funny. She shook it off opened her luggage. She put her clothes in the armoire. The armoire was made out of the same dark mahogany wood as the rest of the furnishings. She put the pictures of her family above the fireplace made out of dark wood. Then, she noticed three doors. One door led into a huge walk-in closet with dresses already hanging in it. The one on the opposite side of the same wall led to a huge bathroom with marble tiles and walls. The bathtub required her to step down into it, but there was a waterfall of water that acted as a shower. _This sure is a weird set-up for a bathroom, but Maxwell did say that the Jenkins were an odd family. I guess this just shows HOW odd, _Sarah thought. _But it is pretty, fit for a princess,_ an inner voice said. Sarah was inclined to agree. She walked out of the bathroom and opened the door that was across the room. That door led to a balcony that looked over a garden with a hedge maze. She walked back into the room and finished unpacking. She put Lancelot on the chair that was situated next to the fireplace, and lastly her red _Labyrinth _book went on her nightstand. She looked at the clock and saw that she didn't have a time for a nap anymore. She sighed and trudged into the bathroom. She turned the water on in the bathtub and only got in when she saw steam coming up from the bath.

* * *

Jareth was pacing around his throne room, yet again. The goblins were really starting to worry about him. Even though goblins aren't the smartest creatures out there, they did have good intentions. Boggy traversed the nearby forest into Fae country to find Jareth's closest friend, Christian. Upon finding the Fae, he tried to explain to him what was wrong with the King of the Labyrinth.

"King is bad," Boggy said.

"Well, yes, I rather thought I knew that when I befriended him when we were boys," Christian replied, "I fail to see why that is a problem."

"King stop kicking goblins," Boggy tried with a different approach.

"Well, now I see what you meant by 'King is bad.' Jareth must have some very serious illness if he's starting to become kind," Christian chuckled, "I suppose I'll go back with you and snap him out of it." The two mythical beings then disappeared in a cloud of smoke and reappeared in the castle beyond the goblin city.

"Christian! What a nice surprise," Jareth said while rising from his throne, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Wow, Boggy, you were right. Jareth is positively bonkers. Now, my dear boy, what has happened to your usual grim disposition?" Christian inquired.

Jareth took in the brown haired Fae's words and considered what he'd say next. "Sarah," was all he replied.

"The Labyrinth runner who was the only one to ever succeed in besting you? What could she have to do with your sudden change in personality?" his friend asked.

"I want to win her back," Jareth said.

"Well. I dare say she'd hardly recognize you if you act like this. Were you ever nice to her during her run?"

"No, I wasn't. I think that's why she refused my advances."

"Or maybe it was due to the fact that she needed to win her brother back because as much as she liked you, she couldn't live with the fact of leaving her brother," his friend suggested.

"I wasn't going to harm the boy, he was to be my heir," Jareth said flippantly.

"She didn't know that. I think you're better off just being yourself. If she doesn't love you for who you are, then she isn't worth your time. You're a KING. Change yourself for no one. You can win her just by being you. Besides, no one likes a King who's gone soft," his friend advised.

"You're right! I disliked being this nice. There's no fun in it—for me or my subjects. Nice just doesn't suit me. I feel like I'm lost when I'm nice. I can be me and still be loveable," Jareth said with a renewed sense of self. He walked up to the nearest goblin and kicked him out the throne room window.

"YAY! KING IS FIXED," Boggy shouted as he flew through the sky. His exclamation was received with various forms of celebration.

"Ugh. The goblins are getting drunk tonight. I can already feel the headache starting," Jareth complained.

"That's the King I know. Now, if you don't mind, I will take my leave. I was entertaining a lovely woman when I was whisked away to save a Goblin King in distress," Christian winked and patted the King's shoulder.

"I hope you'll bring her to the ball, if she lasts that long," Jareth said as his friend shrugged and disappeared into a ball of smoke.

The Goblin King was back, and that wasn't going to change.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hi Readers! I still can't believe I have readers :) I didn't like a Jareth that had no spine. Jareth isn't supposed to be uber nice. He's supposed to be dangerous and slightly sultry. He wasn't himself and I didn't like that. So I changed it. Please don't kill me. I'll send Boggy to fetch you.**

**Now we've come to the part where the author is going to beg for a review. I refuse to beg, so Boggy is going to do it for me.**

***Boggy gets down on knees* "PWEASE REBIEW!"**

**Sigh. Goblins. What are you going to do?**


	7. Fake French People

Sarah walked out of the bath wrapped in a towel. She walked over to the closet and looked inside. She noticed something that wasn't there before. A dress was pulled out from the others. _I guess that's the dress that they want me to wear tonight, _she thought. She pulled the dress out and laid it on her bed. It was pretty. It was a dark blue dress with clear crystals sown into the bodice. It looked expensive, and definitely vintage. She started to dry her hair and put the dress on to find that it fit like a glove. She decided to pin her dark locks into a sophisticated up-do. She wanted it to say that she was mature, even though she was just out of college.

She finished getting ready and still had fifteen minutes to spare so she decided to look over the estate from her balcony. The hedge maze was expansive and full of flower gardens and statues. The middle of the maze housed a gazebo that was covered with roses. It overlooked a fountain too. On the other side of the maze was a huge tree house, although with its size it could easily be considered a fort. To the left of the tree house was a barn, and the whole state was surrounded by forest. She was imagining all the quaint hours she'd spend in the gazebo reading when a knock at the door woke her from her reverie.

"Sarah, are you ready?" Maxwell called through the door.

"Yes! I'm coming," she answered as she closed the doors to the balcony and crossed the room. When she opened the door she saw Maxwell standing there with a proffered arm.

"Well, Sarah, I hope you found your room to your liking. If I must say, you look very becoming in that dress," Maxwell said while giving her an appreciative glance.

Sarah blushed and took his arm. "Maxwell, may I get a tour of the estate sometime in the near future?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll give you a tour tomorrow after breakfast, but you may explore the house on your own tonight after dinner. However, stay out of the east wing on this floor until the tour. I wouldn't want you getting lost and ending up in the wrong bedchamber with the wrong person. Anywhere on the first floor should be fine, though," he responded.

"There is a library here, right?" she inquired.

"It's on the first floor. We'll be passing it on our way to the dining room," he said as they turned to walk down the stairs.

"Maxwell, the chef sent me to find you. He said there was a problem with finding the plates," the servant said. She looked to be a maid.

"Yes, Vivian, I'll be right there," Maxwell answered and then turned to Sarah, "Sarah, I wouldn't leave you by yourself, but I really must go help the chef. Take a right at the bottom of the stairs, walk passed the two sets of double doors, walk through the set of dark wood doors at the end of the hallway. That's the dining room. Good luck with dinner, Sarah." He kissed her hand and left, and with him, her courage.

_The Jenkins can't be that bad,_ Sarah thought. He must've been wishing her luck as a formality. That's got to be it. Sarah gathered the courage that she hadn't felt since she was fifteen and continued down the stairs. _Wow, this house is already working wonders on me. I can feel my soul getting put back together and— _her thought was cut off as she fell. Apparently the dress was longer than she thought and she had forgotten to pick it up. Thankfully, someone caught her arm before she fell to the floor at the foot of the stairs. She looked up to see who her savior was and found a handsome brown haired man in a gray suit with a purple tie. His blue eyes bore into her and a smirk came across his face.

"Well, Miss, gravity is certainly not your friend tonight, is it?" he joked to her mortification. He noticed her embarrassment and decided to comfort her, saying, "Oh come now, it isn't that bad. I fall all the time when I wear long dresses."

Sarah started to laugh and received a smile from the man.

"You have a lovely laugh, Miss. Now, where are you heading? Looking that beautiful should be a crime. I shall escort you so that the police won't arrest you," he responded as he offered her an arm.

"Thank you, Sir. I was heading to the dining room for my first dinner here. I'm very nervous about meeting the Jenkins," she responded as she grabbed his arm and they started walking.

"I can assure you that my father is not that intimidating. My siblings, however, may drive you to drink," he joked.

"Oh, I can't possibly be your nanny," she said.

"No, I'm afraid I'm too old to have a nanny. However, I would love for you to be something else," he said with a wink.

Sarah blushed and retorted, "But, Sir, we don't even know each other's names."

"Yes, I suppose that would be a good place to start. My name is Christian Jenkins. I don't live here, but I occasionally stop in. Now, my lovely creature, what is your name?"

"Sarah Williams," she answered. Christian laughed. _So this is the mortal who has ensnared my friend's heart. No wonder he's so smitten, she is a pretty little thing, _he thought.

"What's so funny about my name, Mr. Jenkins?" she asked feeling slightly offended.

"Nothing, Ms. Williams. However, please forgive my previous comment about you being 'something else.' I didn't mean for it to come off as untoward. I shall revise my statement and say that I wish for us to become good friends. Your American ways are amusing and I would love to find myself in a war of wits with you," he casually responded.

"I can assure you that your British customs are as amusing to me as my ways are to you, Mr. Jenkins. If you don't mind, please call me Sarah. Ms. Williams is reserved for formal companions, and since you want to be my friend, I wouldn't call you a formal companion," she retorted.

"And you shall call me Christian, as all of my friends do. But, don't call me Chris—unless you want to get on my nerves. I shall warn you that none of my family members or our guests are fun to be around when angry or annoyed. We feel our emotions very strongly as Fa—French," he said. _That was close. She'll learn, but in due time, _he silently reminded himself.

"Are you French?" she inquired.

"Yes," he lied, "Most our family and friends live far away, sometimes it seems like I'm in an entirely different world when I come here. That's why I never stay for long, I love my family, but isolation my cup of tea." _Well, that's mostly true. Hopefully she'll forgive my lie, she'll find out about what we are at the ball. Or before then if she figures it out, surely with her previous experiences, our glamour will eventually fade and she'll notice that the people here are different from her mortal companions, _he thought.

"Ah, here we are, Sarah," Christian said as he opened the large double doors.

* * *

Jareth walked around the castle with a new sense of purpose. He walked through the streets of the Goblin City kicking anyone he pleased. He then walked through his gardens and popped up behind Hoggle while he was gardening.

"Hogwart, I demand that you completely redo the gardens," he proclaimed. Hoggle jumped and turned to look at the King.

"But, Your Majesty, it has taken years to even get it to look like this!" he responded.

"Yes. And I have grown tired of the way it looks. I want you to start over," he said and with a wave of his hand a crystal appeared. He dropped the crystal and all that was left was a grassy field.

"I want an orchard full of every fruit here, a hedge maze here, and I think a flower garden here. Oh, and a fountain in the center," Jareth said as he threw crystal balls in all of those directions. As the smoke cleared, the things he wished for appeared. Now, Higgle, I shall give you 12 more crystals to create more flowers and decorations, I want it to look romantic. Add a few swings on trees here and there," Jareth said as he walked away. The crystals manifested on the ground at Hoggle's feet.

"It's Hoggle," he muttered.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay Boggy, here's your cue.**

**"REBIEW THIS STORY PWEASE," he begged. Sigh. Boggy and I will be working on his English in a one-shot that should come out either today or this week. Hopefully it's funny, look out for it. **

**Thanks again for reading, Labyrinth Runner out.**


	8. Meet the Family

Sarah walked in the room to find eight people milling about. There were four children pulling pranks on each other while the adults weren't watching. There were two boys and two girls in a range of ages. Maxwell was in the corner and raised an eyebrow as he noticed her arm entwined in Christian's. The maid that went to fetch him was standing next to him. The other two adults carried an air of importance. _That must be Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, _she figured.

"Ah, now that our guest and our new member of the household have arrived, let us sit and enjoy our dinner," the unknown man said. Sarah noticed that the man had a similar face to Christian's. He had a strong jaw, and green eyes. His hair was gray, but it looked good on him, not like it was an indicator of age, but rather an indicator of wisdom. The woman on his arm was regal, with a deep purple dress and long dark hair. Her black hair reached her waist in an elegant braid. She had dark blue eyes that stood out with her dark hair and fair skin. She too, looked wiser than her years, but not old.

Christian pulled out Sarah's chair for her to sit and then sat in the chair across from her. He wanted a full view of her so that he could observe her mannerisms and tease Jareth about how he got to view his "beloved" before he did. _Oh I will never let him hear the end of this! If I wasn't such a good friend I'd kiss her and hang that over his head, but I don't want to be mean, _he thought.

Sarah was lost in thought when a bowl of soup was placed in front of her.

"Start with the outside silverware and work your way in," Maxwell advised in a whisper as he filled a glass of wine for her. She nodded and reached for the spoon on the far right.

"So, Ms. Williams, I understand that this isn't your first time in England?" Mr. Jenkins asked.

"Yes, I went to college here for a few semesters and I enjoyed it a lot. It has an air of adventure that I'm rather fond of. I feel more at home here than I did back in the United States," she replied.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your new life here," Mrs. Jenkins said sweetly.

"I know she will," Christian said with a wink.

"Mommy, is Ms. Williams going to the ball?" the youngest boy asked.

"Yes, if you don't scare her away by then," Mr. Jenkins said in a warning tone. The little boy looked down at his food.

"I'm quite stubborn. I don't think you'll be getting rid of me that easily," Sarah teased the little boy.

"Ah yes, I do believe that through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered Ms. Williams will fight her way to the hearts of us all," Christian joked.

"You've read _Labyrinth_?" Sarah asked. _I didn't know that other people knew of it. I could never find another copy anywhere when I wanted to buy one for Toby, _Sarah thought.

"Some days I feel like I live it," Christian dryly replied.

"Which character do you like more?" Sarah asked, "I like the King. I think my heart nearly broke when he was rejected by the girl, however I understand why she did it. I'd do the same thing to save Toby."

_Does she really not remember? Or maybe she's lying to hide the fact that she was there herself? Interesting, nonetheless, and something that I'll have to get to the bottom to, _Christian mused.

"The King reminds me of a good friend of mine, but the girl is fairly interesting too. I feel like they are opposites, and in a happier fairy tale or in reality, opposites would attract," he mused as the soup was replaced with the main course of chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

Mr. Jenkins cleared his throat, "Ms. Williams, what do you know of the book?"

"It's my favorite book. I have a copy of it and I've read it over a thousand times. It just resonates with me. It's even inspired a few of my dreams," she answered.

_Ah, so she does think her time in the Labyrinth was just a dream. She'll figure out otherwise soon enough, _Christian figured.

"That's one of their favorite bedtime stories," Mrs. Jenkins said. Sarah raised an eyebrow and looked at the youngest girl and was rewarded with a smile full of potatoes.

"Honey, chew with your mouth closed," Mr. Jenkins chastised.

"Yes, Mummy," she said.

Sarah and the others finished dinner while making nonsensical conversation about her background and what not. After dinner the adults retired to the office and the children ran off to play in the backyard.

"Now, Ms. Williams, there are some things you ought to know about this family," Mr. Jenkins began.

* * *

Jareth was walking through the halls when he decided he was tired of being confined to his castle. He was King of the Labyrinth and he damn well could go wherever he pleased. That being decided, he was going to walk through his Labyrinth, maybe he'd finally repair the broken walls. Labyrinths aren't very imposing if they're run down. Besides, anyone can jump a broken wall. Maybe he'd add a few new traps here and there.

While he was repairing the Labyrinth and making a new oubliette, Boggy came running down the pathway towards him full force, knocking him into his own oubliette.

"BOGGY," he growled.

"King! Boggy sorry. Boggy just wanted to see where King was. Boy wants to wish away baby sister," Boggy explained.

"You're lucky it's a legitimate reason, otherwise I'd throw you into the bog of eternal stench for knocking me in here," the King warned.

"Oh NO! NOT THE BOG," Boggy whined.

"Oh, yes. The bog. Now come on, we have a child to watch over," Jareth said as he vanished from oubliette in a cloud of glitter.

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, so as many of you have read, Boggy and I have been working on his English, so here goes nothing.**

**Go ahead Boggy!**

**"PLEASE REVIEW THIS STORY!" Boggy begged. **


	9. Not For the Faint of Heart

"Please, take a seat," Mr. Jenkins instructed her. Sarah sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the desk.

"Now, you must have figured out by now that we are not the average British family," he continued, "But before I go into any more information, what is it that you do know about us?"

"Well, Christian said that you were all French," she replied.

Mrs. Jenkins started laughing and looked at Christian. "My dear, French? Is that the best you could come up with?"

"Well, Mother, I didn't know when you were going to tell her so I had to come up with something on the spot. Besides, I thought it was a pretty good cover up until you told her the truth," Christian responded.

"Christian, you lied to me?" Sarah said. For some reason she felt hurt even though she had just met him, she had already warmed to the idea of him becoming her friend.

"Sarah, I—yes I technically lied, but it was only because I knew you'd learn the truth later on," Christian rationalized.

"Well, then that makes it okay!" Sarah said sarcastically.

"I would think it did!" Christian replied.

"Children, enough! You two are worse than the little ones on sugar," Mr. Jenkins chastised.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jenkins," Sarah said, "now, what exactly are you, if you aren't French?"

"Fae," he responded.

"That's impossible," she muttered, "but that means that…"

"Your dream was real and you actually did wish away your little brother and won him back," Christian finished, "and yes, that means that the Goblin King is also real."

"No… no, that's impossible. It's only a story," she murmured. Everything hit her like a ton of bricks and suddenly everything went black as she fell to the floor.

"Well, that could've gone better," Christian said.

"Oh, Christian, will you carry her to her room," Mrs. Jenkins said.

"Yes, and I'll stay with her until she wakes up," Christian added, "When she awakens I'll answer any questions she may have."

"That's a marvelous idea. She'll formally meet the children at breakfast tomorrow. I don't want to overload her," Mrs. Jenkins responded, and with that she left with her husband in tow.

"Oh, Sarah, I can already tell that every day with you is going to be a wild adventure," Christian said as he picked her up bridal style and carried her to her room.

* * *

While Sarah was still out cold, Christian decided to tell Jareth about these new developments. He walked out to her balcony, took out a crystal and threw it on the floor. In front of him stood a halogram of the Goblin King himself.

"You better have a good reason for calling me while I have a summons," Jareth warned as he juggled twin babies in his arms.

"Aw, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had company. I just have some interesting news that I thought you would like to know, but if you'd rather have me leave you alone with your charges, then I'm sure my news can wait," Christian replied.

"No, you've already called. Just tell me what made you call," Jareth said as one of the twins pulled on one of his blonde locks, "No, no. Don't pull the King's hair."

Christian tried to stifle a laugh but failed miserably. Jareth noticed his friend's outburst and called for one of his goblins.

"Boggy! Come take these two and have the goblins play with them. I have an important call to take," Jareth ordered.

Boggy came into view, saw Christian, and waved at him, "Hi Kristin!"

"Hello, Boggy," Christian replied. Jareth handed over the two kids and pushed Boggy out of the room.

"I see your English classes with Boggy have paid off, _Kristin,_" the king joked.

"Well, at least I tried to educate your subjects," Christian sighed and continued, "Anyways, the real reason I called is because I have met Ms. Sarah Williams. I can see why you like her. She's quite the feisty one. If you weren't my best friend, I'd keep her for myself."

"Where? How?" Jareth questioned.

"Here, at my parent's home in England. Apparently your Sarah is our new nanny. She thought that her time in the Underground was a dream induced by her book, which I assume you gave her. When father told her that we were fae, she fainted in shock of discovering that all of her childhood dreams were real."

"Yes, I suppose that must have been quite the shock. Why did your parents tell her what you are?" Jareth asked.

"I think it's because she already knew about the Labyrinth. Since she already knew they figured that she could handle the information. In addition to that, if she knew what we were then we wouldn't have to glamour ourselves. It gets tiring after a while, keeping up appearances that is," he explained.

"Yes, it is a hassle I suppose," Jareth answered. Christian heard a crash in the background and saw his friend grimace.

"You should probably go check on that," Christian pointed out.

"Don't remind me," Jareth sighed, "Well, protect her, will you? I'll see you on Wednesday for our weekly lunch." With that, the King disappeared.

* * *

Christian returned to the room and decided to lay down on top on the bed next to Sarah. Sarah started to stir.

"What happened? I feel like I've been sat on by an elephant," she moaned.

"No, you've just had a lot of information thrown at you," Christian answered.

Sarah jumped. "How did you get here?" she asked.

"I carried you back to your room after you fainted in the office," he explained.

"Is it true? That you're fae? You don't look like it," Sarah reasoned.

"That's because I'm using glamour to mask it. Just give me a moment," Christian took a deep breath and was engulfed in a bright light. Sarah closed her eyes and when she opened them, a paler version of Christian stood in front of her. His smile had pointy teeth and his ears were slightly pointed at the top. He was more handsome than before, with the colors of his eyes becoming crystal clear as they searched her for a response.

"Woah, you were telling the truth," Sarah realized, "then Ja—the Goblin King is real too?"

"My God, you are quite slow when presented with new information. Yes, Jareth is real. He's my cousin and best friend actually," he explained.

"He must hate me. I wrecked his castle, turned his subjects against him, and rejected him repeatedly," she responded.

"He'll get over it if he is," Christian replied.

"What was he expecting? I was only fifteen and couldn't even begin to fathom what he was offering. He was hot and alluring sure, and he fueled many more dreams after that adventure, but I couldn't leave Toby there. I did the right thing," Sarah said, more for herself than for Christian.

"You did do the right thing. No one can fault you for that. Now, are there any questions you have for me?" he asked.

"Yes. Tell me about this ball everyone keeps talking about. And why your family left wherever you're actually from, because I know it's not France," Sarah demanded.

"The ball is an annual Midsummer's ball that we've held every year since I can remember. That's usually the only time my family has all of their friends stay at the estate. It's like a giant reunion that starts with a murder mystery dinner party on Sunday and ends with a ball the following Sunday. It's quite a bit of fun, actually. Now, to answer your second request, my father was banished from the Underground because he helped Jareth when he was supposed to be banished to his colony of goblins. No one was supposed to help him, but my father did. Eventually Jareth's older brother found out and had my father banished for his failure to comply. Jareth was only a teenager when he was sentenced to solitude with the goblins and my father could not stand to see his nephew grow up as a recluse. Eventually the High King of all faes realized that Jareth had children that could benefit the rest of the Underground and lifted his law of solitude, but he refused to let my father come back because he disobeyed the law. He did however allow them to have the Midsummer's ball as compensation for their banishment. Otherwise they can only ever have a handful of non-family members visit from the Underground," Christian explained.

Christian looked at the clock and noticed Sarah yawn.

"Yes, you're tired from traveling and from all this influx of information. You should rest. Tomorrow will be a big day for you seeing as you meet my siblings formally. I'll be here for two more days to help you adjust. Good night, Sarah," Christian kissed her hand and he got off the bed.

"Good night, Christian," she said as he left the room. She got off the bed, took off her dress and rehung it. She looked through her dresser for a nightgown. Once she found one, she put it on and climbed on her bed. She set her alarm for seven and closed her bed curtains. Soon enough, she fell asleep.


	10. Flirting Before Breakfast

Sarah awoke to a knock on her door. A voice called out, "Ms. Williams, I do believe it's time for you to wake up."

"Ugh...what time is it?" she grumbled as she turned over to look at the clock, forgetting that the curtains around her bed were closed. She sighed and stared at her ceiling. Then, she heard voices conversing outside her door.

"Maxwell, I'll take it from here," a voice said.

"Yes, Sir. I will see you at breakfast then," Maxwell said. Sarah heard footsteps walking away.

"Now, Sarah, I'm giving you three seconds to open this door before I come in. I know you're awake. One…two…," the voice called out, "Three." The door opened and Christian walked into the room. He strode over to the bed and opened the bed curtains without a hesitation.

"Ugh. Christian, you can't just do that to a girl," Sarah groaned as she covered her eyes as they recovered from the sudden surge of light.

"Sarah, breakfast is served in an hour. I just want to make sure you get there on time and that you won't overreact to my family being in their natural forms," he said and shrugged.

Sarah looked over at Christian and just noticed that he looked paler than the normal human and his smirk was sporting the pointy teeth characteristic of the fae.

"I won't overreact," she mumbled.

"You did last night."

"Did not!"

"You fainted. I'd call that overreacting," Christian commented and poked her in the stomach, "Now, go take a shower and get dressed."

"Fine," she consented and stalked off into the bathroom. She started her bath water and stripped off her clothes.

She stepped into the tub and called out to Christian, "Is there a dress code for breakfast?"

"No, there isn't. There's only one for dinner," he answered.

"Good. That dress was such a pain in the ass to get into," she said.

"Aw, but surely the fact that it made you look ravishing can compensate for the trouble, Sarah," he flirted.

"Do you always flirt with women while they're taking a shower or am I just special?"

"You're special for sure," he mumbled from his seat on her bed. Then he called out loudly, "Miss Williams, I would like to inform you that your clothing options are out here. How are you going to get dressed?"

"I'm trusting you to be a gentleman and sit on my bed with the curtains closed while I get dressed. Otherwise I'll just grab my clothes and change in the bathroom. I have the slight inclination that you wouldn't leave even if I asked you to," she answered.

"Well. I did promise my mother that I would make sure you made it on time," he responded.

Sarah finished up in the tub and pulled the plug. She got out and wrapped herself in her towel. She walked to the door and hesitated before calling out, "I'm coming out now. You better have the curtains closed. There will be problems if you don't."

"They're closed. You're fine," Christian rolled over onto his stomach and shut the curtains. He heard the door open and footsteps walk over to the foot of the bed.

"You know, Sarah, most women want me staring at their naked flesh. Then again, I'm usually naked as well, but that's just a minor factor," Christian teased.

"Are you always this flirtatious?"

"Yes. I fail to see the problem," he answered.

"I figured," Sarah chuckled as she pulled on her undergarments and opened her dresser, "What should I wear?"

"Jeans and a nice long sleeved shirt. Women always look good in jeans—especially if they're figure hugging," Christian advised.

"Remind me to never wear yoga pants around you," she said.

"What are yoga pants?" Christian asked. Sarah finished getting dressed and pulled open the bed curtains.

"Yoga pants are things you will hopefully never see me in," she taunted as she went to sit in front of her vanity. She towel-dried her hair and started brushing it.

"Here! Let me do your hair," Christian offered.

"What do you know about doing hair?" Sarah asked.

"Oh please, I help many women with their hair back in the Underground. I fix up the girls before they leave that way no one knows the difference."

"You run a brothel?" Sarah asked wide-eyed as Christian started to braid her hair.

"No. One of my friends runs one. I just help out occasionally when he's swamped or his regular hairdresser cancels. I also help do hair for many of the theatre productions in the Underground's version of Broadway sometimes too. My actual occupation though is running my own bookstore," he answered.

"A bookstore? I would love to come visit it sometimes!" Sarah answered as she turned to look at him.

"Stay still. Otherwise this won't come out right," he chastised, "now, you act as well, don't you?"

"Yes. I was in quite a few productions back in college. I think that door will probably remain closed though," she answered sadly.

"Maybe not. There, you're done," Christian answered as he finished pinning an elaborate braid that turned looped into a flower-like bun, "let's go get breakfast."

* * *

_So Sarah is working for the Jenkins, this is interesting, _Jareth thought. _All the more reason to go to the ball, _an inner voice added. Jareth sat in his throne as he watched the goblins playing with the twins he had to babysit for another three hours. Sighing he produced a crystal and looked in on the runner. The runner was in the Firey Forest. Hopefully she would get there soon and alleviate the cause of Jareth's headache. He liked children, but two at a time is…ugh. He needed a nap, but he couldn't leave the kids with the goblins that long. Not after what happened last time…he shuddered.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey readers! I've got history day next Thursday and a trial on Friday. I'm probably not going to be able to update until after February 7th. But, if I have time, I may update early. I can answer any reviews or PMs on my phone since I get the email and that's quick, but as for updating, that'd be a stretch. I hope all my fellow New Englanders enjoyed their snow days. Boggy and I had some snow fun. That should be published on here later. **

**Take it away Boggy!**

**"PLEASE REVIEW," Boggy begs you.**


	11. Poppytarts and Children

Sarah walked into the solarium on Christian's arm for breakfast.

"Ah, Ms. Williams, I trust that you recovered from your shock last night," Mrs. Jenkins said.

"Yes. Christian answered my questions and alleviated my worries upon my waking," Sarah replied.

"Christian is a dear, isn't he?" Mrs. Jenkins complimented.

"Mother, it is too early to get sentimental," Christian said with only a slightly strained voice.

"Breakfast is served buffet style. The food is on the side table, please help yourselves," Mr. Jenkins announced. Sarah walked over to the side table and grabbed a plate. She placed a bagel on top and scooped out some butter for it. Then she grabbed some fruit and walked back to the table.

"Mummy! Mummy! I want a poppytart! Can I have a poppytart?" the youngest boy said while running into the room.

"What's a poppytart?" Sarah whispered to Christian.

"I believe Daniel means 'pop-tart,'" Christian responded.

"Yes, Daniel, you may have a pop-tart," Mrs. Jenkins said, " Maxwell, will you bring out the pop-tarts for the children?"

"Yes, Madame," Maxwell said and went to go get the breakfast pastries.

"Christian! You're still here!" Daniel exclaimed and ran over to his brother.

"Yes, Danny-boy, I haven't left yet. Now, where are your siblings?" Christian asked.

"Mary is taking forever! She wouldn't let Aña get into the bathroom so she had to use mine," Danny complained.

"Yes, women do take a long time after they turn 16 don't they?" Christian mused.

A little girl came skipping into the room dragging an unenthusiastic older boy behind her.

"Morning, Mummy! Morning, Daddy! Morning, Christian! Hi, Miss Sarah!" the girl said as she went over to make her breakfast. Sarah finished her breakfast and sat back to drink some tea.

"You're chipper today, Aña," Mr. Jenkins noted.

"Mother, Mary was just finishing her hair when I left," the older boy informed.

"Thank you, Dimitri. I'm sure she'll be down soon," Mrs. Jenkins responded.

The older girl finally traipsed into the solarium and got her breakfast. She silently sat down. She only looked up when she noticed everyone staring at her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" she asked.

"You're half an hour late," Mr. Jenkins said.

"Sarah doesn't even take that long to get ready," Christian added. Sarah glared at him.

"Now children, I think it's time you formally introduce yourself to Miss Williams," Mrs. Jenkins said.

"Hi! I'm Danny and I'm six," the youngest boy said and held up five fingers. He had short brown hair and bright green eyes that almost burned with curiosity. He was small, but reminded Sarah so much of Toby.

"My name is Anastasia. I'm seven. Everyone calls me Aña," the youngest girl said with a smile. She had long black hair with purple eyes. She had a sweet looking face.

"I'm Mary and I'm 16," the next girl said. She had long, wavy blonde hair with blue eyes.

"I am Dimitri. I am 17 and I don't need a Nanny," the older boy said. He had short black hair and gray eyes. He had a no nonsense feeling about him.

"Dimitri, how could you not want a Nanny? I'm 26 and I would love to have Miss Williams be my Nanny," Christian said with a wink. Dimitri's eyes went wide.

"Ewww! Christian that sounds so wrong!" Mary commented.

"Well, I'm very glad to meet all of you. I'm sure we'll get along nicely and I look forward to being your nanny," Sarah said trying to salvage the conversation.

"Sarah, you will begin the children's studies after breakfast. Christian will sit in today and help show you where everything is," Mr. Jenkins said, "Occasionally Maxwell will drop in to check on how you're doing and make sure that you're keeping up with the curriculum."

* * *

Jareth finally gave the twins back to the runner. He was glad for this trying experience to be over. He trudged back to his room. When he looked into the mirror, he didn't recognize himself. His hair was messier than usual. There was spit up on his shirt. His makeup was smudged down his face by little hands. _I will never have more than one kid. That was pure hell. I look like I've been through hell too, _Jareth grimaced. He stripped and ran some hot water for a bath. He sunk into the tub until he was underwater. When his lungs burned for air he came back up and let his head rest on the edge of the tub as the struggles of the day slowly began to melt away.


	12. Reasons

Sarah started the children's studies after breakfast. She taught them math, which was a weird experience since every one of the kids was at a different level. Daniel was learning basic addition, Aña was learning multiplication up to the fives, Mary was doing geometry, and Dimitri was studying calculus. Sarah had a hard time keeping up.

"Miss Sarah, what's the answer to number five?" a voice asked.

"Square root of three. Wait. No, it's six. Or was that pi?" Sarah was scouring the four different answer books on the desk when she heard a deep chuckle from the back of the room.

"_Instead of laughing, you could help_," Sarah called. She heard boots walk towards her desk.

"And where would the fun in that lie? Besides, I'm only here to observe. However, Daniel is the one that asked, and he's learning addition so you would need this book," Christian told her as he handed her the answer book.

"Thank you," Sarah sighed, "the answer is ten, Daniel."

"I GOT IT RIGHT!" Daniel announced.

"Daniel, you say that every time you get one correct," Aña pointed out. Daniel pouted.

"Good job, Daniel," Mary told her brother as she patted him on the head.

"So, Miss Sarah, I take it that math was not your forte in college?" Christian teased.

"Honestly? No. I'm an English major," she explained.

"Do you like to write?" he inquired.

"I love it," Sarah replied with a smile on her face.

"Well, then maybe you can switch to English after lunch," Christian suggested.

"_Please_," Dimitri added, "I don't know how much more calculus I can take!" Sarah laughed.

"Alright, how about we break for lunch and then we'll go out in the garden to write for a bit," Sarah said. The children erupted into a chorus of cheers as they rushed out of the room leaving Christian and Sarah alone. Sarah sighed and laid her head on the desk.

"Already regretting your decision to take the job here, Sarah?" Christian asked as he sat on the edge of desk.

"No, it's not that. I just feel like a failure I guess," she told him.

"Sarah, anyone would get confused by four math books at once. I get confused by one math book," he teased.

"_I'm not talking about the math books,_" she sighed.

"Then what is it?"

"I graduated college and couldn't get a normal job so I left my family to live with a family I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing with my life."

"Sarah, people seldom know what they're doing. However, I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Do you think it's mere coincidence that you are my family's new Nanny? You, the labyrinth runner who beat the labyrinth and remember it all managed to meet someone that got you a job here with faes by chance? No, no, my dear, you were brought here for a reason. That is a fact," Christian told her as he stood up.

"You think so?" She looked up at him.

"I know so," he told her as he offered her his hand. "Now, come along. Lunch is usually pretty good." Sarah put her hand in his and stood up. She followed him into the solarium for lunch.

* * *

Jareth was sitting in his throne room when Boggy came to him.

"KING," Boggy started.

"Boggy," Jareth replied.

"Boggy wants to know if Kristin is coming by soon," the goblin replied.

"That's a good question. He hasn't been here in a while," Jareth stopped to think, " I did speak to him earlier. He's visiting his parents aboveground."

"Oh," Boggy pouted and started to walk off.

"Boggy, why do you care?"

"Kristin said he'd teach me how to sing," Boggy told him. Jareth was suddenly really glad that Christian wasn't there.

"He'll be back soon," Jareth quickly told the goblin before stalking off towards the labyrinth. The latest runner had caused some damage that he needed to see to.

* * *

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY. I haven't updated this in over a year. I apologize a thousand times over. Thank you to everyone who's been sticking with me through this. **


	13. Chocolate Destruction

Sarah went out with the children to the gardens after lunch. She found it to be even more incredible than it looked from her balcony. She sat down on a bench with a book near a pond as she watched the kids writing.

"So, Miss Williams," Christian said as he sat down next to her.

"Yes?" She asked looked up from her book.

"Are you excited for the ball in two weeks?"

"What ball?" She asked in confusion.

"The Midsummer's Ball. You'll have to attend to watch the children, of course, but once they go to bed you can have fun," he said with a wink.

"_I_ get to go to a _real_ ball?" Sarah asked with her eyes wide, "I've always wanted to go to one of those!" Christian smirked as he remembered the dream Jareth fabricated for her.

"We'll have to find you a dress, of course," Christian told her, "and you'll have to save at least two dances for me."

Sarah chuckled, "Of course! How could I possibly say no to you?"

_Oh, just wait until you see who's there. I may never see you again_, Christian thought bemused.

"Miss Sarah, can you read this?" Dimitri asked her as he walked over to her holding out a notebook.

"Sure," Sarah told him as she took the notebook and read through it. It was a sweet story about a King reuniting with his lost love. He sees her through a crowd of people, instantly recognizing her. He dances with her until the night is over and promises to come back for her. It was sweet.

"Wow, Dimitri, I didn't know you were such a romantic," Sarah said as she gave him his notebook back.

Dimitri's face turned pink. "T-thanks. I guess," he said as he walked back over to his younger siblings.

Sarah and the children stayed outside for another half an hour before it began to rain. With shrieks, the kids ran back inside with Sarah and Christian in tow.

* * *

"Well, I think that's enough studying today. I am thoroughly soaked," Sarah said as she accepted a towel from a maid to dry her hair. "I think we should all change into some dry clothes and I'll make you some hot cocoa."

"Oooooh! Hot cocoa!" Daniel said with eyes as wide as saucers.

Sarah chuckled, "_Yes_, hot cocoa. I'll meet you all in the library in…let's say half an hour?"

"Sounds good to me!" Mary said as she ran up the stairs towards her room. Her siblings ran after her.

"You sure have a way with kids, Sarah," Christian told her as he finished drying his face off.

"It's probably from spending so much time with Toby," she explained.

"Either way, it's impressive. Does that hot cocoa invitation extend to me as well?" he asked with a smirk.

"Of course," Sarah replied with a smile, "I have so many questions to ask you."

"Fair enough. I'll see you in half an hour," Christian replied as he walked off to his room Sarah sighed before walking up the stairs and heading to her room. She peeled her wet clothes off her body and stepped in the shower for a couple of minutes to warm herself up. Then, she dried herself off and donned a fresh pair of jeans and a sweatshirt before heading down to the kitchen.

* * *

"_Ms. Williams, whatever are you doing?_" Maxwell asked as he walked in to find Sarah raiding the cabinets. Sarah jumped at his voice.

"Maxwell! You scared me," Sarah replied as she closed the cabinet.

"And you still haven't answered my question," Maxwell teased.

"_Because I know you won't let me do what I was planning on doing if I told you_," Sarah shot back.

"Well, how about I help you with whatever you were planning on doing instead of yelling at you?" Maxwell suggested.

Sarah sighed, "I was trying to make hot chocolate for the kids, Christian, and I. We got stuck out in the rain so I figured I'd make something to warm us all up."

"Alright, well, for starters the cocoa is in _here_," Maxwell told her as he opened the cupboard next to where Sarah was.

"Mental note, hot cocoa is behind door number three," Sarah joked.

"Pots are up here," Maxwell said as he opened a door to a pantry. Sarah peeked behind the door and saw tons of pots, pans, and a lot of normal china.

"This china is for the servants. We keep it here so it doesn't get mixed in with the main china," Maxwell explained as he pulled out a pot and handed it to her. Sarah poured milk into the pot and added some of the cocoa mix. Maxwell handed her a spoon so she could stir the mix.

"You're a pro at this," Maxwell commented.

"Yes, well, winters are pretty snowy where I come from. I would make hot cocoa for my brother and I when we would come back inside from playing," she told him.

"That's very admirable," Maxwell told her as he pulled out a tray, a tea pot, and some cups.

Sarah chuckled, "Maxwell, this it hot cocoa, not tea."

"Yes, but this way the children can add marshmallows, cinnamon, or whipped cream to it," He replied as he placed the cinnamon shaker, the whipped cream can, and a sugar bowl full of marshmallows onto the tray.

"Hey, Maxwell, can you put some red pepper and vanilla on the tray, too?" Sarah asked as she poured the cocoa into the tea kettle.

"Sure, but why?" Maxwell asked in confusion.

"Mexican hot chocolate. It's probably the best thing ever," she told him. Maxwell just gave her a blank stare as he placed it onto the tray.

"_It's an American thing,_" she amended as she went to go pick up the tray.

"No, no, Miss Sarah, let _me_," Maxwell told her as he gently nudged her away and picked up the tray. Sarah sighed as she walked ahead of him towards the library.

* * *

Jareth grimaced as he looked around his broken labyrinth. The runner sure did a number on it. With a wave of his hand, he repaired the huge hole in the wall that he was staring at. He started to walk away when he noticed that flowers were growing where his magic touched. _That's odd_, he thought. He fixed the hole in the hedge where the runner had run straight through it due to the fireys chasing them. Then, he fixed the oubliette that the runner had trashed in frustration.

"I swear, these kids do not appreciate the things I do for them," he gruffed. After an hour he was finally done. He turned himself into an owl and flew back to his castle, ready for a nap.


	14. Fitting Circumstances

Sarah held the door to the library open for Maxwell. Maxwell gently placed the tray down on a nearby table and turned toward her.

"Will you be needing anything else, Miss Sarah?" he asked her.

"No, that will be all. Thank you, Maxwell," she smiled at him.

"You're quite welcome," he told her as he turned to exit the room. As he reached the door, he stopped. "Oh, and, Miss Sarah?"

"Yes, Maxwell?" she asked as she placed the teacups around the coffee table.

"There will be a seamstress here after dinner to take your measurements for a dress for the ball."

"What about the dresses already in my room?" Sarah asked.

"Oh _heavens no_! Those are for dinner with the family. You will need something _extra_ special for the ball. We can't have you looking like a commoner. You _do_ represent the family, you know."

"Alright, Maxwell. Seamstress coming after dinner. Got it," she smiled. Maxwell returned the smile and continued on his way out. Sarah sighed as she continued to finish placing the cups around the table. She heard the door open and thought it was Maxwell.

"Really, Maxwell, I don't need anything else," she responded without looking up.

"Well that's good, because I can assure you that I am not Maxwell," Christian grinned.

"Oh, it's you," Sarah smiled as she poured him a cup of hot cocoa, "Maxwell and I also have marshmallows, cinnamon, red pepper, and vanilla that you can add to it."

"Red pepper and vanilla?" Christian asked as his brows furrowed, "Whatever for?"

"Mexican hot chocolate," Sarah replied as she doctored her own cup of cocoa into the spicy concoction.

"You'll have to let me try yours before I ruin my own cup with it," he replied. Sarah offered him the cup and he took a sip before coughing. "Wow, that's good, but a little strong."

"I figured you wouldn't be able to handle it," Sarah teased.

"What is that supposed to mean, Ms. Williams?" Christian asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, just that you aren't used to spicy food and drinks. Your pallet must be rather bland considering the foods you eat are all so proper and expensive."

"So you're insinuating that poor people use spices?" Christian asked confusedly.

"No, just that poorer people eat at places like Chipotle and Diego's Cantina, neither of which you have probably heard of," she smirked.

"_Touché_, Ms. Williams. You have me there," he smiled before dropping a marshmallow and some cinnamon into his cup. "So, I overheard Maxwell tell you about the dress fitting later. Are you excited?"

"Very! I haven't been fitted for a dress since my junior prom," Sarah replied.

"Do you know what you want it to look like?" Christian asked.

"Well, there's always been this dream dress from when I was a child. It's white with poofy sleeves. It's fairly outdated by today's standards. I think I might try to update it to be more modern and wear something like that," Sarah said before taking a sip of her hot cocoa.

"Interesting…" Christian said mysteriously as he raised his eyebrows. That dress sounded an awful lot like the one Jareth put her in during her delusion when she ran the labyrinth.

Sarah was about to question him about his response when the children burst into the room.

"MISS SARAH! Can I have hot cocoa?" Danny asked as he skidded to a stop in front of her.

"I don't know, _can_ you?" She teased.

Danny sighed, "_May_ I have hot cocoa?"

"Yes, you may," Sarah giggled as she poured them all cocoa. She was unable to get any of them to try her "American hot cocoa" as they called it, and soon enough it was time to get changed for another uneventful dinner.

* * *

After dinner, Sarah was called into the study for her fitting.

"Let me see you," the seamstress said in a very thick French accent. Sarah stared blankly at her in response. The woman only rolled her eyes and moved her finger in a motion meant to mean turn around. Sarah slowly turned in a small circle before coming back to face her.

"I see. Well, what is it zat you are looking for?" the seamstress questioned as she scribbled into her notebook.

Sarah started to describe to her the dress from her youth. As the seamstress sketched it out onto her drawing pad, Sarah could feel a sense of nostalgia waft over her. She could almost close her eyes and see a man hiding from her in a crowded room. Sarah shook her head to clear the image. She needed to focus.

"Is zis what you want?" The seamstress asked when she was done.

"Yes, but I was wondering if you could make it look a little more modern," Sarah asked.

"Say no more. I shall do it," she said before giving Sarah a curt nod and leaving the room.

"Well…. That was odd," Sarah commented before turning to leave. She didn't have to teach the kids any more for the night, so she was going to retire to her room to read. However, fate had other plans. After getting comfortable on her bed, she fell fast asleep, tired from the day's events.

* * *

Jareth sighed as his goblins ran about him, measuring him for his suit for the ball. They always insisted on creating a suit for him, which of course he'd wear until he got outside the castle, and then he'd magic it into something more suitable for the event at hand. They always tried. He had to give them that. Their creations just weren't always the nicest things. One year he had received a suit made entirely of chicken feathers. It had been quite itchy and the collar tickled too much. Another year, they made him a suit made out of cabbage leaves. They looked immensely happy to see him in their creations, though. He had to let them have their moment.

"Alright, alright. That's quite enough measuring," Jareth said with a wave of his hand before going to sit on his throne. He pulled out one of his crystals and began to juggle it around in the air before sending it up into the air. It formed an image as it broke on the ceiling, visions of balls and a girl dressed in white went twirling around the space. The love he almost had, yet she wasn't ready at the time to realize it. Maybe things could be different if their paths were to cross again. Maybe.

* * *

**A/N: I am so sorry. College has taken over my life.**


End file.
